Thursday
Evening Bible Study
October
3, 2019
Introduction
The book of Isaiah is the first book in the section of the Old Testament
that we call the “prophets”.
It is the Old Testament book that has the clearest picture of the coming
Messiah.
The New Testament quotes from Isaiah more than from any other prophet.
John, the forerunner of Christ, began his ministry with a quote from Isaiah
(Mat. 3:3).
Jesus preached His first sermon in Nazareth from Isaiah (Luke 4:17-21).
Old Bible critics will say that the book of Isaiah is actually two books
written by different authors, with chapters 1-39 as the first book, and
chapters 40-66 as the second.
The two sections are indeed distinct, but they serve different purposes.
The first half is a book of judgment, the second half is one of comfort.
Better, recent scholarship, including the contribution of the Dead Sea
Scrolls affirms that it is a single book written by a single author.
This is not a book that was written all at once, in a single sitting. There
are various sections of the book, and it is the compiling of the writings of a
man over sixty years.
There will be times that the prophetic message is aimed close to Isaiah’s
time.
There will be times when the prophetic message is aimed far in the future.
There will be times when the message has a double effect with both a near and
far prophecy.
Isaiah has contemporaries.
His ministry overlaps the prophets Hosea and Micah.
His ministry lies roughly between 740-700 BC.
He prophesies during the reigns of the Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah –
all kings of the southern kingdom of Judah.
Keep in mind that in Isaiah’s lifetime, Israel has been split into two
different nations.
The northern ten tribes were called “Israel”, or “Ephraim”.
The southern two tribes were called “Judah”
Isaiah lived in the southern nation, and they are the main focus of his
prophecies.
We have seen that some prophecies have “double fulfillments” – they may be
fulfilled inside Isaiah’s day, and then again far in the future (like Is. 7:14
– the virgin).
We are also seeing that when it comes to prophecy, sometimes the prophecy
can skip hundreds or thousands of years between one phrase and the next. This
is called “prophetic telescoping”.
We are in the section known as the “Burdens” of Isaiah. Burdens are “heavy” things.
They started back in Chapter 13 with the first “Burden against
Babylon”. There were further “burdens” for
Philistia, Moab, Damascus, and Egypt.
There will be more “burdens” through chapter 23.
Isaiah 21:1-10 – Babylon
Summarize vs. 1-5
Interesting details about Babylon’s destruction, hinting at the Medes and
Persians doing it, the state of King Belshazzar when it happens (shaking), and happening
at a big feast (Dan. 5)
read vs.1
:1 the Wilderness of the Sea
This is a reference to the city of Babylon (it becomes clear by vs. 9)
:1 it comes from the desert
This is talking about the Medes and Persians, the enemy that would conquer
Babylon.
Keep in mind, Isaiah is writing this hundreds of years before it would
happen. Babylon hasn’t even risen to
greatness yet in Isaiah’s day.
read vs. 3
:3 Therefore my loins are filled with pain
This sounds very much like what King Belshazzar would be experience when he
sees the “writing on the wall” – his hips were “loosened” and his knees knocked
together (Dan. 5:6)
(Daniel 5:6 NKJV) Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him,
so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each
other.
read vs. 5
:5 Prepare the table
Babylon fell in the middle of Belshazzar holding a great “feast”.
read vs. 8-9
:9 Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
The picture is of a man in the watch tower crying out that Babylon has
fallen.
John will use the same language to describe the fall of another, future
Babylon. (Rev. 14:8; 18:2)
(Revelation
18:2 NKJV) And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying,
“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…
Isaiah 21:11-12 – Edom
There is another “burden” here, aimed at the Edomites on the eastern side
of the Jordan River.
This “burden” is a warning that there is a “night” up ahead and that the
people should “return” – turn to the Lord.
Isaiah 21:13-17 – Arabia
There is a prophecy that Arabia would fall to Assyria within one year.
Arabia was conquered by Sargon in 715 BC
Isaiah 22:1-14 – Jerusalem
Jerusalem is referred to as the “Valley of Vision”, perhaps referring to
the Kidron Valley.
:1 The burden against the Valley of Vision
Even though Jerusalem is usually considered as being on a “mountain”, there
are valleys all through the city.
He may be speaking of the Kidron Valley which is on the east between the
Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives.
Though some see this prophecy only applying to the coming Assyrian
invasion, some things clearly refer to Babylon (hundreds of years later).
Some commentators want to apply the entire thing to the invasion of the
Assyrians, but there are parts that apply more to the fall of Jerusalem to the
Babylonians much later.
(Isaiah 22:5–6 NKJV)
—5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the
Valley of Vision—
Breaking
down the walls And of
crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With
chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield.
The walls weren’t broken down by the Assyrians.
Elam is a nation tied to Babylon, not Assyria.
Read vs. 8-11
:9 gathered together the waters of the lower pool
This seems to be a clear reference to the tunnel that Hezekiah had dug
bringing the water of the Gihon Spring into the city.
He did this so the Assyrians wouldn’t have water when they laid siege.
:11 you did not look to its Maker
Here’s the problem that Jerusalem had – they did good things like fortify
the walls and dig tunnels – all good.
But they stopped looking to God.
In contrast, David wrote,
(Psalm 20:7 NKJV) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will
remember the name of the Lord our
God.
God was calling the people to come back to him, but instead they had a new
motto …
read vs. 13
:13 Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!
Lesson
It’s worth it
Paul was talking about how our hope in the resurrection gives us courage to
do difficult things when he wrote,
(1
Corinthians 15:32 NKJV) If, in the manner of men, I have
fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the
dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
We talked on Sunday about how we have a “living hope”, a reason to keep
going in our trials.
Illustration
“Keeping my Fork”
The sound of Martha’s voice on the other end of the telephone always
brought a smile to Brother Jim’s face. This time, however, there seemed to be
an unusual tone to her words. “Preacher, could you stop by this afternoon? I
need to talk with you.” “Of course, I’ll
be there around three. Is that ok?” It didn’t take long for Jim to discover the
reason for what he had only sensed in her voice before. Martha shared the news that her doctor had
just discovered a previously undetected tumor. “He says I probably have six
months to live”. Martha’s words were
naturally serious, yet there was a definite calm about her. “I’m so sorry to...” but before Jim could
finish, Martha interrupted. “Don’t be. The Lord has been good. I have lived a
long life. I’m ready to go.” “I know,” Jim whispered with a reassuring nod.
“But I do want to talk with you about my funeral. I have been thinking about it, and there are
things that I know I want.” The two talked quietly for a long time. When it
seemed that they had covered just about everything, Aunt Martha paused, looked
up at Jim with a twinkle in her eye, and then added, “One more thing, preacher.
When they bury me, I want my old Bible in one hand and a fork in the other”. “A
fork?” Jim was sure he had heard
everything, but this caught him by surprise.
“Why do you want to be buried with a fork?” “I have been thinking about
all of the church dinners and banquets that I attended through the years,” she
explained, “Sometimes, at the best ones, somebody would lean over my shoulder
and whisper, ‘You can keep your fork.’ “And do you know what that meant? Dessert was coming! And not a cup of Jell-O
or pudding or even a dish of ice cream. You don’t need a fork for that. It
meant the good stuff, like chocolate cake or cherry pie! When they told me I
could keep my fork, I knew the best was yet to come! “That’s exactly what I
want people to talk about at my funeral. Sure, they can talk about all the good
times we had together. That would be nice.
But when they walk by my casket and look at my pretty blue dress, I want
them to turn to one another and say, ‘Why the fork’? “That’s when I want you to
tell them, that I kept my fork because ‘the best is yet to come!’” ~ Author
Unknown
Isaiah 22:15-25 – Two Guys
In the next section, God has a word for a couple of real individuals.
One of the king’s chief advisors was a name named Shebna.
Shebna was a proud man and was already planning to build a great monument
to himself.
Jewish tradition says he had made arrangements to betray Jerusalem into the
hands of Sennacherib.
God warns Shebna that He will drive him out of office.
In contrast, a faithful man named Eliakim would be raised up.
He would be given greater responsibilities.
(Isaiah
22:22 NKJV) The key of the house of David I will lay
on his shoulder;
So
he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
It’s as if Eliakim will have full responsibility – what he says goes.
Jesus tells us that this was prophetic of Himself:
(Revelation 3:7–8
NKJV) —7 …‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the
key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no
one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have
not denied My name.
Lesson
Who’s in charge here?
Sometimes when you’re having trouble in a store it’s not a bad idea to ask
to talk to the manager. Sometimes a
manager can help you in ways that the average clerk is unable to.
In life, we can get frustrated at some of the circumstances we face, at
some of the things going on around us.
It doesn’t hurt to go right over people’s heads and talk to management.
Jesus is the one in charge. He’s the
one with the keys. He’s the one with the
final say.
And when He makes a decision, we need to learn to respect it.
Isaiah 23 – Tyre
Tyre was the capital of the ancient Phoenician empire. It was sort of the “New York City” of its
day.
The Phoenicians were world famous sailors in their days. They ruled the
waters of the Mediterranean for a long time, establishing colonies all along
the Mediterranean.
They were the chief merchants of the world as well. All the world’s trading seemed to go through
Tyre. They were a bit like “Amazon” is
today.
In Isaiah’s day, the city of Tyre consisted of two parts.
There was the “Old City”, which was located on the mainland, on the
coast.
A newer part of the city was built out on a small rocky island about ½ mile
off the coast.
In Isaiah’s day, the Assyrians would try to conquer Tyre, but would fail.
It wouldn’t be until the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar that the Old City
on the coast was conquered, but by then everyone had moved to the island city.
In vs. 13, the “Chaldeans” are mentioned, another word for Babylon.
In vs. 17, we read that this judgment would last for seventy years, which
happened to be the length of the Babylonian Empire.
After Persia conquered Babylon, Tyre would once again flourish, until the
Greeks rose up.
The “new” city of Tyre on the island would be conquered by Alexander the
Great in 332BC by building a ramp to the island, then wiping it out. (see also
Eze. 26)
Ezekiel will also prophesy about Tyre’s destruction (Eze. 26).
We are now done with the “Burdens” section and move into the section known
as “Isaiah’s Apocalypse”. It will cover
chapters 24-27 and will give us a glimpse of the coming Tribulation as well as
Jesus’ return.
Isaiah 24 – Tribulation
read vs. 1-3
:3 As with the servant, so with his master
There will be no advantage to any special position in society. The judgment
will affect all on the earth.
read vs. 4-13
This is the Great Tribulation.
Isaiah is giving us a picture like the reporter on the street.
:13 like the gleaning of grapes
The idea is that there won’t be very many people left at the end of the
Tribulation.
If you look at Revelation 6-9, a total of ½ the planet will die during the
Tribulation.
In Rev. 6:8, ¼ of the earth is killed.
In Rev. 8:11, “many men died from the waters being poisoned.
In Rev. 9:15, armies cross the Euphrates and kill 1/3 of mankind.
By this time, the total population of the planet has been cut in half.
In the middle of this devastation, Isaiah hears singing in the
distance. It’s the voices of the
“remnant”, those on the planet who have not been killed or martyred, but who
still follow God.
read vs. 14-16
:16 But I said, “I am ruined, ruined!
It seems that Isaiah is brought back to the present and is discouraged
about the state of the people around him.
Perhaps Isaiah then goes back to the Tribulation…
read vs. 17-18
:18 caught in the snare
You really can’t run from God.
Sooner or later you will have to face Him.
read vs. 19-21
:21 punish on high the host of exalted ones
This could be a reference to Satan being bound in the bottomless pit for a
thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3)
read vs. 22
:22 After many days they will be punished
After the thousand years, God will bring the final judgment on the planet,
the “Great White Throne” judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
read vs. 23
:23 the Lord of hosts will reign
Ultimately, God will win.
Isaiah 25 – Praise
read vs. 1-2
:2 You have made a city a ruin
I think he’s referring to the last days Babylon here (Rev. 17-18).
Babylon will never be rebuilt after Jesus comes back.
read vs. 3-4
:4 A strength to the needy
We’ve often heard the phrase, “God helps
those who help themselves”.
The truth is that God helps those who
need help.
:4 A refuge from the storm
God is the one we run to in trouble.
read vs. 5-6
:6 A feast of choice pieces
The theme of the great feast with God is all through the Scriptures.
(Matthew
8:11 NKJV) And I say to you that many will come from east
and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
read vs. 7-8
:7 The surface of the covering cast …
Death is described here like a death shroud covering the earth, and God
will end “death”.
:8 He will swallow up death
Paul quotes this in 1Cor. 15:54, connecting it to the resurrection.
(1
Corinthians 15:54 NKJV) So when this corruptible has put on
incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to
pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
read vs. 9
:9 this is our God
Lesson
We WILL see Him
It’s especially hard when we are going through difficult times.
We wonder why life is so hard.
We can even wonder if what we believe is really real.
We read on Sunday:
(1 Peter 1:6–8
NKJV) —6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need
be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the
genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that
perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory
at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having
not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice
with joy inexpressible and full of glory
Yet there will be a day when we will see Him. Face to face.
Illustration
The Sailor and the Lady
John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and
studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He
looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with
the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida
library. Taking a book off the shelf he
found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes
penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and
insightful mind. In the front of the
book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time
and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and
inviting her to correspond. The next day
he was shipped overseas for service in World War II. During the next year and one month the two
grew to know each other through the mail.
Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was
budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he
really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day finally
came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting - 7:00
PM at the Grand Central Station in New York.
“You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my
lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he
loved, but whose face he’d never seen.
I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her
figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears;
her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in
her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to
notice that she was not wearing a rose.
As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer
to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell.
She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40,
she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her
thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes.
The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen
was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose
spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible,
her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle.
I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy
of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something
perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever
be grateful. I squared my shoulders and
saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt
choked by the bitterness of my disappointment.
“I’m Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so
glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?” The woman’s face broadened into a tolerant
smile. “I don’t know what this is about,
son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she
begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out
to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big
restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
We too have fallen in love with Jesus through the letters He’s written to
us (the Bible). There will be that day
when we see Him face to face.
Summarize vs. 10-12
The last part of the chapter talks about God destroying His enemies.
Isaiah 26 – Salvation Song
This chapter is a song that people will sing after Jesus has come back.
It talks about how God has triumphed over His enemies, and saved His
people.
There are a few verses I want to point out:
read vs. 3
:3 keep him in perfect peace
perfect peace – literally, “shalom,
shalom”.
The doubling of the word is done to show the certainty of this peace and
the complete fulness of this peace.
It is peace in every aspect of the word – peace with God, peace with
people, peace in circumstances.
stayed – camak – to lean, lay, rest, support,
put, uphold, lean upon
Lesson
Peace from Trust
God offers to help us, protect us, provide for us, and guide us.
Do you believe it?
The Tribulation survivors will know that God keeps His promises.
(Philippians 4:6–7
ESV) —6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finding peace through prayer isn’t about following a ritual. It’s about learning to put the situation into
God’s hands and trusting Him to take care of it.
I think the real key to “peace” here is the “thanksgiving”. If I really believe that I’ve put my situation
into God’s hands, and that He’s going to work, I can say “thanks”.
Illustration
Say you and your family are standing in line to buy
tickets to Disneyland. You are a little
scared you might not have enough to pay for it all (a very real sentiment).
The guy in front of you turns and says, “I would like to
buy your family tickets today!” How
would you respond?
If it’s a total stranger, you might be a little skeptical.
If it’s a friend you trust, you might actually say
“Thanks!” You trust he will do what he
says.
Perfect peace doesn’t come from a one time “trust”, but by having our minds
“stayed” on Him. Completely
leaning. And staying there.
A few more gems to point out in chapter 26 –
(Isaiah
26:19 NKJV) Your dead shall live; Together
with my dead body they shall arise…
Here in the Old Testament is a clear reference to “resurrection”
Those Sadducees (who don’t believe in resurrection) should be reading their
Bible.
Summarize vs. 20-21
These are verses aimed at Jews in the Tribulation. It’s a message to not lose hope because Jesus
is coming back!
Isaiah 27 – Restoration
read vs. 1
:1 …Will punish Leviathan
Satan (the dragon) will lose his war at the end of the Tribulation. (Rev.
12:7-13)
He will be cast into the bottomless pit (Rev. 20)
read vs. 2-3
:2 A vineyard of red wine
This is a vineyard that is bearing fruit.
In Isaiah 5, there was a vineyard that didn’t produce healthy fruit.
Who is this?
It includes the faithful among Israel (Ps. 80:8)
(Psalm 80:8 NKJV) You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and
planted it.
It includes the church (John 15)
(John 15:5 NKJV) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
:3 I water it every moment
Lesson
Water for the thirsty
Video: Thirst
We run into problem when we try to satisfy our “thirst” with the wrong
things.
How does God water us?
By Himself
(Hosea 14:5 NKJV) I will be like the dew to Israel…
I think this requires that we are spending time with God –
being quiet before Him.
By His Word
The man who meditates on God’s Word…
(Psalm 1:3 NKJV) He shall be like a tree Planted by
the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf
also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
By the Holy Spirit
Jesus said if we were thirsty to come to Him and drink…
(John 7:38 NKJV) He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
By other believers
(1
Corinthians 3:6–7 NKJV) —6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God
gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is
anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
Have you been feeling a little dry and parched? Think about how God wants
to quench that thirst.
:3 I keep it night and day
Lesson
24 Hour Protection
Caleb was telling me that yesterday there was a burglar in their
neighborhood, the police were buzzing overhead in helicopters, blockades on the
streets etc. The thought they had caught
the guy, but then he got away.
Illustration
A burglar had been watching a house in Indiana for a few days and was sure
that the people were away, so one night he went up to the door, rang the
doorbell, and upon getting no response, he picked the lock and let himself in.
Once inside, he turned on his flashlight and to his surprise he heard a voice
say, “I see you and Jesus sees you!” He turned instantly toward the voice and
then he laughed because his flashlight revealed a parrot in a cage who once
again said, “I see you and Jesus sees you!”.
Now relieved, he turned on the light in the room and looking back at the
bird, he again became alarmed, because below the cage was a Doberman
pincher. And then, the parrot said,
“Sick ‘em, Jesus!”.
We have something better than a trained Doberman.
(Psalm 121:4 NKJV) Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The rest of the chapter continues the idea that God will help those who
turn to Him, and how God will restore the once broken down nation of Israel.
One last gem…
(Isaiah 27:6 NKJV) Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall
blossom and bud,
And
fill the face of the world with fruit.
We see this fulfilled today. Israel
is one of the leading producers and exporters of fruit in the world.
Next Week:
Read Isaiah 28-33